Republicans are giddy after Vice President Kamala Harris announced her pick of Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a former U.S. congressman and moderate-turned-far-left “progressive” who has a record they believe they can expose to their advantage in November.

Following her announcement on Tuesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., threw a reference to self-described democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., on X, “Harris Feels the Bern and picks Walz. Thank you, Kamala! Governor Tim Walz is a dream for the radical Left.”
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the highest-ranking House lawmaker from Walz’s home state, has accused him of enacting policies that would transform Minnesota into a blue stronghold akin to California.

“It’s not surprising [Harris] picked Tim Walz to be her running mate – he embodies the same disastrous economic, open-borders, and soft-on-crime policies Harris has inflicted on our country the last four years,” Emmer wrote on X. “Walz is an empty suit who has worked to turn Minnesota into Harris’ home state of California, and solidifies this ticket’s full embrace of a radical, America-last agenda.”

“They’ve taken a knee to these radical extremists that are antisemites and anti-Israel,” Emmer added, calling Walz a “grab bag of nothing.”
In a preview of the GOP’s anticipated strategy for the coming months, several Republicans have highlighted Walz’s handling of the Black Lives Matter riots in Minnesota during the summer of 2020. They also pointed out that Harris supported the Minnesota Freedom Fund, a bail fund for rioters, during her 2020 presidential campaign, Fox News noted.

“The Democrat Party makes history as they anoint Harris-Walz to the ballot this November representing the most radical Far Left wing ticket in history,” said House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y. “Walz was a failed Member of Congress, is a failed Governor who supported Defund the Police BLM that torched cities to the ground. All while Kamala fundraised to bail out violent criminals from prison.”

Rep. Tom Tiffany, R-Wis., of the neighboring state of Wisconsin wrote in a statement, “While Minnesota burned, Tim Walz did nothing and watched. While Minnesota burned, Kamala Harris helped violent rioters get out of jail. This is the SOCIALIST dream.”

Walz was roundly criticized for refusing to activate his state’s National Guard sooner to deal with the rioting and looting, which included torching a Minneapolis police precinct.

“Tim Walz is a perfect choice for Kamala Harris. He let BLM rioters, arsonists, and looters rampage through his state and she encouraged donations to the bail fund for the few who were arrested,” Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., said.
“Weak choice. Really surprising,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for Senate, told Axios. “Lot there for Republicans to seize on to show the radical differences.”

“Harris’ ideological comfort zone remains at the very far left fringes of her party; by snubbing Pro-Israel [Pa. Gov. Josh] Shapiro [D] it’s the clearest sign yet that 2024 Kamala is the same as the 2019 primary Kamala,” NRCC spokesperson Will Reinert told the outlet.

“It was Harris’ first major decision as the nominee and she caved to the pro-Hamas contingency within the Democratic Party,” NRSC spokesperson Mike Berg said. “Tim Walz reinforces Kamala Harris’ biggest weaknesses: crime and immigration.”
Former White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany believes former President Donald Trump is eager to go after Vice President Kamala Harris’ selection as her running mate due to their liberal backgrounds. Because of how “far to the left of America” Harris’ politics have been, McEnany said on “America’s Newsroom” that she believes the Trump camp is “cheering” about Harris’ choice.

“This is a stunning choice. I imagine there’s a lot of cheering at Mar-a-Lago at the moment. Look, Tim Walz, he’s no one to scoff at. He unseated a six-term Republican in Congress, he won a conservative district. He began as a moderate and then he had a radical transformation as soon as he got a trifecta in Minnesota. I think it is fair to call him a progressive in sheep’s clothing,” McEnany said.

“When you look at his record over the last few years, what you see are transgender surgeries for minors, carbon electrical grid by 2040, driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants. In function, his abortion policy allows abortion until birth. These are policies that are far to the left of America,” she added.